Sussex-Wantage schools' performance lacking

SUSSEX — Two Sussex-Wantage Regional schools were found to be lagging in their 2012-13 results, school officials announced at the Jan. 29 Board of Education meeting.

Superintendent Jeanne Apryasz said Wantage Elementary School lags behind the rest of of the state in three categories — academic performance, college and career readiness, and student growth — Sussex Middle School is average when compared with the rest of the state.

Apryasz said the only true performance measurement is the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, a test that every student takes. She also said district officials are working hard to improve the disrict's curriculum to increase the amount of instructional time.

The district plans to implement a series of STEM courses: Science, Technology, English, and Engineering in the middle school.

Lax grading standards?
Board of Education member Bob Maikis voiced his concerns over the extremely high percentage of honor roll students compared to the poor school results.

Maikis said he searched for a reason why up to 60 percent of students make the honor roll yet the school results can't get above the 50th percentile in their peer group.

Maikis also wondered if the district's grading standards are too lenient and suggested changing the standards for the honor roll to make them more rigorous.

"We should let parents know where we are," Maikis said. "The poor school performance scores should have parents at these meetings.

Apryasz said she is looking at the Honor Roll policy and will encourage a standards-based grading to reflect actual performance.

"It is definitely an issue on my mind," she said.

Maikis also said the high percentage of honor roll students could deceive parents into thinking someone else's child is bringing down school results and not theirs.

Sussex-Wantage Board of Education President Thomas Card good naturedly smiled and said that this was Maikis’ yearly comment about the high percentage of Honor Roll students compared to the poor school results.

Maikis had made similar comments at the School Board meeting a year ago, during the January 2013 meeting.